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US 2026/0307776 A1Published application
Slotted Wing Flaps for a VTOL Aircraft
AssigneeArcher Aviation Inc.
InventorsAbe KAREM, John Paul PARCELL
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Devices and systems of the inventive concept provide an aircraft flap system is deflected to achieve minimum drag in cruise, maximum coefficient of lift (CL) at low speed, and minimum download in hover. It does so by opening a gap or slot between an aircraft's wing body and an associated trailing flap during hover flight, while providing a continuous aerodynamic contour under other conditions.
Claims20
1-10. (canceled)
A wing for a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, the wing comprising:
- a main wing body shaped to have a slot at a trailing edge of the main wing body;
- a flap disposed at the trailing edge of the main wing body and configured to actuate relative to the main wing body in accordance with a hover configuration and a cruise configuration of the VTOL aircraft;
- an intermediate wing body interposed between the main wing body and the flap and configured to actuate relative to the main wing body in accordance with the hover configuration and the cruise configuration;
- and
- an actuation system configured to:
- in the cruise configuration, control the intermediate body to be disposed within the slot;
- in the hover configuration, control the intermediate wing body and the flap to extend to form a gap in an aerodynamic contour of the wing.
4 more elements
The wing of claim 1, wherein:
- the actuation system comprises:
- a hinge fixed to the main wing body;
- and
- a flap support fitting rotatably coupled to the hinge;
- and
- the flap and the intermediate wing body are attached to the flap support fitting.
3 more elements
An aircraft comprising:
- a wing comprising:
- a main wing body shaped to have a slot at a trailing edge of the main wing body;
- a flap disposed at the trailing edge of the main wing body and configured to actuate relative to the main wing body in accordance with a hover configuration and a cruise configuration of the aircraft;
- an intermediate wing body interposed between the main wing body and the flap and configured to actuate relative to the main wing body in accordance with the hover configuration and the cruise configuration;
- and
- an actuation system configured to:
- in the cruise configuration, control the intermediate body to be disposed within the slot;
- in the hover configuration, control the intermediate wing body and the flap to extend to form a gap in an aerodynamic contour of the wing
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.